Introduction
Music in our lives. Boy bands
We all enjoy listening to the music and have our favorite performers. This WebQuest will help you to find out more about musical idols and their songs. For example, have you ever heard about boy bands? Can you name some? If no - now it`s your chance to explore it. There will be some listening tasks to help you with this mission. Also at the end of this quest you are to share your own favourite singers or bands! Can you decide which one is your favourite?
Task
Today you will...
- master your listening skills
- learn new vocabulary about music
- learn about boy bands
- work in groups to present your own project
- be able to talk about your favourite singer/group
During this lesson...
- you should listen carefully to your teacher’s instructions and recordings in order to complete all tasks correctly.
- you are also to work in groups, so, please be respectful to each other’s opinions and try to do your best
At the end we will choose the winner-team which will receive a special award!
Good luck!
Process
Instructions
Listen to the radio interview about boy bands and do the exercises to practise and improve your listening skills. Do the preparation exercise before you listen. Then do other exercises to check your understanding. Good luck!
Task 1 (preparation exercise). Complete the gaps with a word from the box.
_____________________________________________________
reality / music / 'look’ / feel-good / record / good-looking
_____________________________________________________
1. Find four or five _______________ boys.
2. Check they have at least some _______________ ability.
3. Decide on a _______________ for the band.
4. Write them some songs with safe, _______________ lyrics.
5. Ideally, get them on a _______________ TV show.
6. Make as much money as possible from _______________ sales, concerts and merchandising.
________________________________________________________________________________
Task 2. Do this exercise while you listen. Decide True or False for these sentences.
1. Many boy bands are not successful. True / False
2. In the past, boy band members dressed differently but had similar personalities. True / False
3. Having different types of boy in the group is supposed to appeal to different girls. True / False
4. One Direction first became famous on YouTube. True / False
5. One Direction lyrics are written for girls who like rebellious boys. True / False
6. One Direction's stylists try to give each band member an individual look. True / False
7. One Direction became famous in the US by clever use of social media. True / False
8. One Direction have not tried to make money from merchandising. True / False
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Task 3. Do this exercise while you listen. Circle the best phrase to complete these sentences.
1. The most important thing for boy bands in the past was that they had some musical ability / they could dance well / they had different personalities .
2. Things have changed because people wanted something different / the media and new technology influence things differently / both of the above .
3. Starting on a reality show like X Factor is great for a band because appearing on TV is the quickest way to get famous / the many viewers who vote every week become loyal fans / people feel a personal connection with bands they see on TV .
4. The words to One Direction songs are designed to make teenage girls feel good about themselves / appeal to mums by being a bit cheeky / communicate universal messages about love .
5. One Direction's clothes are very individual and they each have a strong look / create a clean-cut, safe and non-threatening image / are casual and fashionable with a touch of rebelliousness .
6. Lots of people said One Direction wouldn't be regarded as serious musicians / get famous in the US as well as the UK / have a number one record .
7. One Direction were the first British band to have their first album go to number one in the US / sell so many copies of their first album in just one week / break into the US market by using social media.
8. The boys have also made money from selling One Direction products like dolls and phones / performing as many sell-out concerts as possible / giving talks about their success .
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Task 4. While listening to the One Direction`s song fill in the gaps.
DRAG ME DOWN by One Direction
I've got fire for a _____,
I'm not _______ of the dark
You've never seen it look so easy
I've got a river for a ____ and baby you're a _____
Baby, you're my only reason
If I didn't have you there would be nothing left
The _____ of a man who can never be his ____
If I didn't have you I'd never see the sun
You taught me how to be someone, yeah
All my life you _______ me
when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights, they can't _____ me
With your love nobody can drag me down
All my life you _______ me
when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights, they can't _____ me
With your love nobody can drag me down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me… down
Nobody, nobody
Nobody can drag me… down
I've got fire for a _____,
I'm not _______ of the dark
You've never seen it look so easy
I've got a river for a ____ and baby you're a _____
Baby, you're my only reason
If I didn't have you there would be nothing left
The _____ of a man who can never be his ____
If I didn't have you I'd never see the sun
You taught me how to be someone, yeah
All my life you _______ me
when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights, they can't _____ me
With your love nobody can drag me down
[Chorus]
All my life you _______ me
when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights, they can't _____ me
With your love nobody can drag me down
All my life you _______ me
when no one else was ever behind me
All these lights, they can't _____ me
With your love nobody can drag me down
[Chorus x2]
_________________________________________________________________
Task 5. Team up!
- divided into groups of four
- collectively choose the music band you`d like to introduce
- have a discussuon with your group about this band (try to portray it by presenting a fragment of their song / prepare short history about the band / describe it).
- be ready to perfom in front of the class
You have 15 minutes for discussions and choosing the song you’re to present, after that you'll go up to the front of the class with your group and portray the band chosen without naming it in order to make your classmates understand which band is presented. After everyone performed, we are to decide on the best performance and give the group an opportunity to take part in annual school concert with this song.
Evaluation
|
Category |
Excellent |
Good |
Fair |
|
Fill in the gaps |
Student does not only perform the pattern correctly but also understands the meaning of missed words |
Student performs the pattern correctly without help from teacher |
Student cannot perform pattern without help from the teacher |
|
True/False |
Student is able to perform the pattern correctly and gives arguments to prove his/her point of view |
Student can perform the pattern correctly without giving any arguments for the chosen variant |
Student is facing serious troubles during the performance of the task and needs the help of the teacher |
|
Choose the correct variant |
Student is not only correctly performing the task but also can translate word combinations in bold |
Student is performing the task with slight problems but successfully finishes the exercise |
Student cannot perform the task without the help from the teacher |
|
Fill in the gaps (song) |
Student is performing the task correctly form the first audition |
Student is having some troubles during the first audition but performs everything correctly during the second one |
Student cannot perform the task without the help from the teacher |
|
Group performance |
Carefully listens to instructions by the teacher, shares ideas with the group, and supports the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together. Playing a leading part in the group |
Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others, but sometimes is not a good team member |
Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts of others. Often is not a good team player |
Conclusion
CONGRATULATIONS EVERYONE!
After this lesson you are able to talk about the music in general and boy bands in particular. Also you have mastered your listening and speaking skills. Good job! Hope you got a good time!
Teacher Page
Answers to Boy bands – exercises.
Task 1. Check your understanding: gap fill
1. good-looking 2. musical
3. ‘look’ 4. feel-good
5. reality 6. record
Task 2. Check your understanding: true or false
1. True 2. False
3. True 4. False
5. False 6. True
7. True 8. False
Task 3. Check your understanding: multiple choice
1. they had different personalities
2. both of the above
3. the many viewers who vote each week become loyal fans
4. make teenage girls feel good about themselves
5. create a clean-cut, safe and non-threatening image
6. get famous in the US as well as the UK
7. have their first album go to number one in the US
8. selling One Direction products like dolls and phones
Task 4. Feeling the gaps
I've got fire for a heart
I'm not scared of the dark
You've never seen it look so easy
I got a river for a soul
And baby you're a boat
Baby you're my only reason
If I didn't have you there would be nothing left
The shell of a man who could never be his best
If I didn't have you, I'd never see the sun
You taught me how to be someone, yeah
All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
[Chorus:]
I got fire for a heart
I'm not scared of the dark
You've never seen it look so easy
I got a river for a soul
And baby you're a boat
Baby you're my only reason
If I didn't have you there would be nothing left (nothing left)
The shell of a man who could never be his best (be his best)
If I didn't have you, I'd never see the sun (see the sun)
You taught me how to be someone
Yeah
All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
[Chorus]
All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
All my life
You stood by me
When no one else was ever behind me
All these lights
They can't blind me
With your love, nobody can drag me down
[Chorus]
Transcript
Presenter: The internet is full of articles about what makes a good boy band. But many bands appear and disappear without a trace. Alana, it can’t be as easy as following a formula, can it?
Alana: No, I don’t think so. The traditional formula is that you have four or five good-looking young guys with some musical ability and the ability to dance – the choreographed dancing was very important to boy bands in the past. They tended to wear the same, or very similar clothes when they performed, so you had to decide on a ‘look’ for the group. The most important element, however, was said to be that the band members had different and very distinct personalities.
Presenter: Right, the cute one, the rebel, the joker, the shy one, mysterious one ...
Alana: Yeah, although sometimes they all just seem to like the cute one! The idea is that different boys appeal to different girls, so you can have a bigger fan base. There’s someone in the band for everyone.
Presenter: So, do you think this all still holds true? Or have things changed in the 21st century?
Alana: Yeah, I guess things have changed for several reasons – partly just because we needed a change – but mainly because of changes in the media and with new technology. Take One Direction …
Presenter: Ah, I’ve been counting the seconds before you mentioned One Direction!
Alana: Well, we have to talk about them because they’re the biggest thing at the moment, although who knows how long they will last.
Presenter: Oh, ages and ages ...
Alana: We’ll see. Anyway, One Direction, as you know, came to fame through the X Factor, a reality show, and that was a great way to start. You had loads of people watching them every week and wanting them to win. They felt as if they had a personal stake in their story as they voted for them every week.
Presenter: What age group does One Direction appeal to exactly?
Alana: That’s another clever thing, they seem very unthreatening, so they appeal to very young girls, they are cute so teenage girls really like them, but they also have a laddish, slightly naughty side to appeal to the mums! The teenage girls and the mums are the ones who will spend money. The lyrics to the songs are calculated to appeal to girls who feel a bit insecure about themselves, like most teenage girls."You don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful", that kind of thing. Lots of girls want to feel wanted, but not scared, and that’s traditionally what boy bands do. They present this image of a clean-cut, reliable boyfriend. Actually, One Direction’s clothes also help here: chinos and clean casual shirts and canvas shoes. You’ll have noticed that they don’t wear the same clothes. Their stylists have been instructed to keep them looking individual, but despite that they all have this attractive but unthreatening look. No tattoos, or piercings, or black leather, or make-up or anything.
Presenter: You make them seem very cold and calculating. Remember that they’ve been nominated for loads of music awards and they’ve won dozens, so they’re regarded as serious musicians.
Alana: OK, if you don’t want to believe they’re calculating you can blame their management. They’re nice boys who are fantastic musicians.
Presenter: They are! And they keep proving their critics wrong. A lot of people said they wouldn’t make the leap from the UK to the US market, but they did very quickly.
Alana: Yes, and that’s all down to their clever use of social media, or rather their management’s clever use of social media. One Direction are all over Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Tumblr. That’s how they made it in the States so quickly. In the past it was a lot more difficult and took a lot longer. Bands had to try and get air-time on local radio stations and that was really hard. But they’ve by-passed all that. Social media has become the new radio, as their manager said.
Presenter: Their first record, Up All Night, went to number one in the US, didn’t it?
Alana: Sure did! They achieved a world record as the first British band in history to reach number one in America with a debut album. It sold 176,000 copies in the US in a single week.
Presenter: Amazing. And the boys are all rich from the merchandising too.
Alana: Yes, well, the boys and their management company. There are One Direction phones, toys and games. Dolls, even. I think that’s another 21st-century thing – companies are cashing in on success in all possible ways as quickly as possible.
Presenter: May they all enjoy it while it lasts.